The Best Passenger Ships of 2015

DECEMBER 10, 2015—Passenger vessels aren't always about taking you somewhere. Some are destinations in themselves. The latest generation of 4,000+ passenger cruise ships, for example, are floating resorts with parks, ice skating rinks, rock climbing, zip lining and just about anything you can dream of doing on land or sea. Other passenger vessels, such as small ferries, are all about moving passengers quickly, comfortably, and efficiently. Societal, environmental, regulatory, and economic demands are pushing passenger ship owners to rethink how they are designing and building their vessels. This past year, there was a push for more innovative designs that incorporate "greener technologies." The January 2016 issue of MARINE LOG will highlight 10 of some of the most interesting passenger vessels built in 2015. Click on the links to find out more about each and read the January issue of MARINE LOG.

1. Veteran, 80m Ice Class Ferry, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Damen GalatiThe Veteran is part of a large "lifeline" vessel replacement program being undertaken by the Provincial Government to modernize its fleet.

2. Sally Fox, 105 ft Fast Ferry, King County, All American MarineSally Fox is the first U.S. Coast Guard Sub-chapter "K" inspected passenger vessel built and delivered under new fire safety guidelines.

6. Mein Schiff 4, 99,500 grt Cruise Ship, TUI Cruises, Meyer TurkuDesigned for the German premium-class cruise market, the 99,500 gt Mein Schiff 4 is 294 m long and 36 m wide and has a total of 1,253 cabins.

7.Samish, 144-Car Ferry, Washington State Ferries, Vigor IndustrialDesigned by Seattle-based Guido Perla & Associates, Inc., the Samish is the second in the Olympic Class vessels being built for WSF. The 362 ft ferries have a capacity of 144 cars and 1,500 passengers.

8. F.A. Gauthier, First LNG Ferry for North America, STQ, FincantieriThe ship's integrated diesel electric propulsion system has four Wärtsilä 12V34DF dual-fuel generating sets. that can run on either LNG or MDO Gas - LNG) or marine diesel oil (MDO).

9. Viking Star, 48,000 grt Cruise Ship, Viking Ocean Cruises, FincanitieriThe Viking Star is the first of the three 48,000 grt, 930 passenger cruise ships on order for the line at Fincantieri's Marghera, Italy, shipyard.

10. Oscar B., 115 ft Ferry, Wakiakum County, Nichols Brothers Boat BuildersDesigned by Seattle's Elliott Bay Design Group the steel-hulled, aluminum superstructured vessel has been built for Wahkiakum County, Washington State as a replacement for the ferry Wahkiakum.